If I were to ask you, “What is the most important thing about you?” there are countless ways you could answer. Your relationships, your work, your beliefs, or even your hopes for the future might come to mind. But I would submit that the most important thing about you is that you are related to God—inescapably so. Whether you acknowledge Him or not, you are an image bearer of the Triune God. That is not merely a label; it’s a defining, unchangeable part of who you are.

In this article, I want to explore what it means to be made in the image of God, how this truth shapes our view of humanity, and how redemption in Christ restores what sin has broken.

Created in the Image of God

From the very beginning, the Bible makes this point plain. Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This foundational verse makes it clear that we are created beings, modeled after no less than the One True God. It’s a stunning thought, but it’s true.

Theologian Anthony Hoekema, in his book Created in God’s Image, puts it this way:

“The human being is both a creature and a person; he or she is a created person. This, now, is the central mystery of man: how can man be both a creature and a person at the same time? To be a creature…means absolute dependence upon God; to be a person means relative independence.”

That paradox defines much of our human experience. As creatures, we are totally dependent on our Creator for life and breath and everything else. But as persons, we have real freedom. We can make decisions, build relationships, create beauty, and even reject God. Remarkably, the Bible doesn’t see these realities as contradictory (Philippians 2:12–13). 

Male and Female: Reflecting the Triune God

Genesis 5:1–3 builds on this idea, stating that when God created man, He made him in His likeness—male and female. Not only was Adam made in the image of God, but so was Eve. Together, man and woman uniquely reflect the relational nature of the Triune God.

This passage also notes that Adam’s son Seth was born in his father’s image, implying that all descendants share in the Imago Dei. From generation to generation, human beings carry this divine imprint. There is a unique dignity and worth attached to every person.

The Value of Human Life

This doctrine also has deep ethical implications. In Genesis 9:6, we read, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” The reason murder is such a heinous crime in God’s eyes is not simply because it ends a life—it’s because it violates the dignity of an image bearer.

Christians have always had a high view of life. For example, we cannot sit back and quietly tolerate abortion. To end the life of an unborn child is to end the life of someone made in God’s image. That’s not a political talking point—it’s a theological truth. And while there is grace and healing for those who carry regret or guilt, we must continue to speak clearly and compassionately about the sanctity of human life.

This brings us to an interesting connection with the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Ex. 20:4). Studying the Imago Dei helps us understand why this command exists. If you want to know what God is like, don’t look to statues or carvings. Look to His image bearers. Better yet, look to His Son.

The Image Marred, Not Erased

We know the story doesn’t end in Eden. Adam and Eve sinned and the harmony of creation was broken. But was the image of God in them broken forever? No. Corrupted and marred, yes. But not destroyed.

Hoekema affirms this: “Whatever the Fall has done to the image of God in man, it has not totally obliterated that image.”

The Fall has made us prone to curse instead of bless (James 3:9), but the image remains. That’s why sin is so tragic—and why redemption is so glorious.

Jesus: The Perfect Image

Jesus Christ is the true man—the perfect image of God. Colossians 1:15 declares, “He is the image of the invisible God,” and Hebrews 1:3 adds that He is “the exact imprint of His nature.” If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus as the blueprint for what we were created to be.

That’s why the goal of redemption isn’t just forgiveness—it’s transformation. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that as we behold Christ, we are “being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”

Conclusion: You Reflect God

In sum, man was created to mirror and represent God. That reflection was marred by sin but is being restored in Christ. And this truth extends to every part of us—not just our souls, but our bodies too. 

In a world that is increasingly confused about what it means to be human, the doctrine of the Imago Dei offers clarity, purpose, and hope. You are not an accident, nor are you disposable. You are made in the image of God. And through the gospel, that image is being restored—gloriously, little by little.